Where Have The Years Gone?
by IceMaiden7
Summary: Ugh... I hate summaries...these are short stories about Kei and Sho during that span of years were we have no idea what goes on. Probably KeiSho if I ever get to later chapters.


Kei's POV

"It's my birthday. I thought you knew."

…oh…shit…I stared at the child in front of me as horrible understanding slowly dawned. Sho stared back, his eyes brimming as he tried valiantly to hold back tears. His lower lip trembled as one tear escaped his eyelashes, marking a small trail down his cheek.

I quietly whimpered to myself. If he'd been throwing tantrums, I'd have been fine. I could handle the screams and howls of rage, random objects thrown about the room. Instead, he was trying to pretend as if nothing was wrong, as if I hadn't horribly disappointed him.

Oh no…I could see it in his eyes. Holy crap, he was trying be understanding.

I sighed a curse and knelt down, my arms going around his small body. Sho buried his head in my shoulder, his arms wrapped around my neck so tightly that I wasn't able to breath. Which wasn't exactly a problem in my case.

This kid was way too attached to me for his own good. It was only three months after he'd drug me from those old buildings, and he'd already wormed his way into my life. For about a week he'd followed me around on the streets. I'd try to ditch him, but he was worse than a bloodhound. When I thought I'd lost him, I'd turn a corner and there was he was.

Even trying to scare him wouldn't work. Sho was obviously a peculiar kid. He'd either talk your ear off or stare at you in disconcerting silence, as if he had more wisdom than his 8 years could attest to. The streets did that to a person. The fact that I was a blood drinking monster didn't even faze him.

Finally I gave up and promised to take care of him. I hadn't known at the time that meant Shinji and Toshi as well.

Using the money that they had stolen from the Chinese man I had fed off of, I was able to buy a dingy apartment that was barely big enough to hold the four of us. I shuddered to think what would happen in a couple years. If Sho didn't come to his sense and run as far away from me as he could. And I knew that where Sho went, Shinji and Toshi would follow.

I'd even started Sho and Toshi on learning how to read and write. Along with a few other skills that probably weren't appropriate for children their age. But you never know when you need to get out of a locked room with only a stray piece of metal.

Overall, the past few months had been crazily hectic compared to my previous years of skulking in the streets. How the hell was I supposed to know when Sho's birthday was? Give me a freaking break, kid! I've only known you for a little while and you never told me!

But I guess in Sho's mind, I'd somehow instantly know all about him and have some big thing planned. Argh. Stupid kids with their big eyes and pleading looks. I could have been peacefully floating around as little fragments of ash right now.

I was distracted from my thoughts by a feeling of dampness against my neck. Oh that was just great. Sho's sobs had soaked the collar of my shirt.

Gently, I disentangled him from my neck and wiped the tears from his face with the sleeve of my shirt. It was already wet, so it didn't really matter.

"Listen Sho, I'm really sorry about your birthday, but I didn't know. You never told me," I tried to explain, but apparently it was the wrong thing to say. The idea that it was his fault was too much for him to handle. I had to think of something fast before he started crying again.

"Why don't we plan on a big meal tomorrow at a really fancy restaurant," I asked hurriedly, knowing his love for food. Considering he'd nearly starved to death on the streets, who could blame him?

"Can Shinji and Toshi come too?" he slightly mumbled. I nodded and smiled in relief that I had successfully diverted more tears.

His answering grin was the closest thing to daylight I'd seen in years. I couldn't help but smile back at this lovable freak who wanted a vampire as a guardian.

Suddenly he hugged me as hard as he could, "I love you, Kei."

I stiffened. How could he say that? I was a monster, a freak! I killed other people in order to survive. I had no right to live, let alone be loved.

"What's wrong?"

I looked down into wide brown eyes and relaxed. Sho was just a child. I was the first adult figure to show any kind of compassion towards him. Of course he felt that way. Maybe he even felt obligated to like me because I'd saved their lives. He didn't understand the horror of what I was. In a few years, he'd learn and want nothing to do with me. But maybe until that time, I could fool even myself into thinking I was normal.

"It's nothing," I assured him, "Why don't you go find the other two and tell them about tomorrow?"

I watched him run off, a small smile gracing my lips. The next few years were going to be interesting.

Um...yeah...I have a couple of ideas for later years, but I'm not going to write them if no one shows any interest in this one. Please review. It makes me feel all warm inside...of course...that might be the vodka...


End file.
